Primordial Era: The Great Celestial Venerable on the Road to Mythology

Chapter 82 The Tragedy of the East Sea, Jingwei Carrying a Stone

The cultivators of the primordial world went into seclusion to cultivate, racing against time to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth, hoping to perfect the Great Dao and attain sainthood as soon as possible.

However, the primordial world did not become peaceful. On the contrary, the fighting intensified everywhere, and conflicts occurred every moment.

The root cause lies with the human race.

The development of the human race has reached an unstoppable point. The more people there are, the more cultivators there will be; the more cultivators there are, the greater the cultivation resources required. Spiritual herbs, mineral deposits, spiritual veins, blessed lands—each resource is finite, but the human race's appetite is inexhaustible.

As human cultivators compete for resources, friction between them and the myriad races of the primordial world has become increasingly frequent.

Shennong attempted mediation, but with little success. Although he was the supreme ruler of humanity and held immense prestige, the human race was not truly unified and remained in a tribal era. Each tribe had its own leader and its own interests. Faced with these interests, Shennong's words were not inviolable.

Shennong had no choice but to devote more energy to the great task of "tasting hundreds of herbs".

Although humans possess martial arts techniques that have greatly enhanced their physical abilities, countless mortals still exist, and mortals are susceptible to illness. Even low-level martial artists can be injured in battle. This highlights the crucial importance of herbs.

Of course, this is the path he must take; it is his destiny.

At levels below cultivators, the human race, with its massive population, holds the upper hand in the struggles against all other races.

Those races without powerful backers were driven to harsh, desolate lands. Those races protected by powerful beings were dealt with less severely by humans, only to be stopped short of serious harm.

In an instant, the fortunes of the human race surged once again, reaching their zenith.

However, great success breeds envy. Humanity's actions have offended many. Among those suppressed and driven out, there are always some unsavory characters. They cannot defeat humanity head-on, yet they harbor resentment and seek revenge.

What should I do?

They turned their gaze to the daughter of the Human Emperor.

That innocent little girl, Nvwa, full of curiosity about everything in the world.

On this day, Shennong, as usual, carried his medicine basket and ventured into the deep mountains to search for new herbs.

He traveled far, crossing several mountain ranges and passing through dense forests and deep valleys, concentrating intently on identifying every plant, completely unaware of what was happening in the tribe.

The girl secretly slipped out of the tribe while her father was away.

Although she was young, she was lively by nature and full of curiosity about everything in the world. Shennong usually kept a close watch on her and didn't allow her to run far away, but today, with her father not around, how could she sit still? Like a little bird released from its cage, she hopped and skipped away into the distance.

For some reason, as if drawn by a mysterious force, she inexplicably ran out of the tribe, across fields, across hills, and far, far away, finally arriving at the shores of the East Sea.

The girl stopped, panting heavily, and looked up, instantly captivated by the scene before her.

The sea was calm and still, like a giant sapphire, quiet and peaceful. Sunlight poured down, refracting into patches of light on the shimmering surface. The gentle ripples made the light spots sparkle and dance, as if countless sprites were playing, so tranquil and beautiful.

The sea and sky blend into one, seemingly losing their boundaries, or perhaps it's the entrance to some mysterious world, drawing people closer.

The girl stared, her eyes glazed over, and a strange impulse welled up inside her. She instinctively stepped into the sea.

The icy seawater reached her ankles and calves, but she was completely unaware, gazing blankly into the distance.

At that moment, a giant wave suddenly crashed in, instantly engulfing her figure!

The girl was startled and instinctively struggled. Although she was young, she had practiced martial arts, though she was only a beginner and her skill was not high, but the small waves could not harm her.

With a powerful push of her legs, she quickly broke free from the crest of the wave, escaping its onslaught.

The girl patted her chest, let out a long breath, and was about to walk towards the shore into the deeper waters when suddenly there was a violent surge!

A waterspout suddenly rose from the seabed, like an enraged ancient beast, charging madly toward where the girl was with boundless power!

Wherever the waterspout passed, the seawater was stirred up into a huge whirlpool, and the surrounding fish and shrimp were scattered by this force. Even a reef several meters high not far away was crushed by the waterspout!

A roaring waterspout arrived in an instant, sweeping the little girl into it!

Her small body was swept away by a tremendous force and dragged to the bottom of the sea.

The icy seawater engulfed her. She struggled desperately, opening her mouth to scream, but only endless darkness and surging seawater poured into her mouth.

Her body slowly sank into the seawater, her consciousness gradually faded, and the breath of life slowly disappeared in the cold seabed.

Until it fell into complete silence.

After the girl died, her soul was supposed to go to the underworld to be reincarnated.

However, an invisible force bound her soul, sealing it within the body of a small bird.

"Humans have slaughtered countless members of my aquatic race; today we'll collect some interest. I wonder what the Human Emperor will do if other humans kill this bird? Hahahaha—"

A dark figure flashed through the void, its laughter chilling and sending shivers down one's spine.

The girl's soul, trapped within the bird's body, heard the shadowy figure's words. A surge of resentment rose within her—she was unwilling, she was angry, she hated. She picked up a small stone and threw it forcefully into the sea.

A stone falls into the water, splashing up a small spray.

She picked up the second piece and threw it in.

The third piece, the fourth piece —

She wants to fill in this sea and make those who harmed her never have a moment's peace!

At the same time, Shennong, who was collecting herbs in the deep mountains, suddenly felt a pang of pain in his heart.

The pain came without warning, yet felt like a sharp blade piercing his heart, almost knocking him off his feet. The medicine basket slipped from his shoulder, scattering herbs all over the ground. He grabbed onto a nearby tree, gasping for breath, his eyes filled with terror.

"A girl—a girl!"

He sensed it—it was the throbbing of blood ties, a sign of the passing of a loved one. His daughter was in trouble!

Shennong, disregarding the scattered herbs, turned and rushed back to the tribe. Using his martial arts techniques, he moved like an arrow, crossing mountains and passing through dense forests, returning to the tribe in less than half an hour.

"Where is the girl? Where is she?" he shouted.

The tribespeople looked at each other in bewilderment, only then realizing that the princess was missing. They searched everywhere, but found only traces of her departure in her room.

Shennong suppressed his grief and followed the scent left by the girl. His people followed, and the group traveled eastward, crossing mountains and valleys, until they finally arrived at the shores of the East Sea.

At the seaside, a small bird circled low in the sky, emitting mournful cries. Occasionally, it would swoop down, pick up a small stone, and throw it into the sea.

Shennong's gaze fell on the little bird, and he paused for a moment.

The pull in your blood can't be wrong.

That was his daughter.

"Girl!" Shennong cried, tears streaming down his face. He stumbled forward, his hands trembling as he reached out to the little bird.

The little bird seemed to recognize him, and instead of flying away, it landed in his palm, chirping "Jingwei, Jingwei." The sound was so mournful and plaintive that it brought tears to the eyes of anyone who heard it.

The tribespeople rushed forward and were horrified by what they saw. Some immediately dived into the sea, and soon found the girl's body on the seabed. Her small body was riddled with holes, as if it had been cut by countless sharp blades, a truly tragic sight.

Shennong held the little bird, looked at his daughter's body, and wept uncontrollably.

Just then, a figure descended from the sky.

Daoist Duobao.

As the teacher of the Earthly Emperor and the senior disciple of the Jie Sect, it would be truly inexcusable for him not to come when such a major incident occurred on Shennong's side.

Moreover, this is not just a matter between him and Shennong and his disciples. Someone dared to kill the daughter of the Human Emperor right under his nose. That would be a slap in the face to Duobao and to the Jie Sect!

The Taoist priest Duobao had a gloomy expression. He first examined the girl's body, and then probed the bird's soul.

"This was done by humans, by cultivators," Duobao said slowly, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

He carefully examined the connection between the girl's soul and the bird's body, and finally shook his head.

"The girl's soul has been forcibly imprisoned within this bird's body by a secret spell. That spell is extremely vicious; her soul and the bird's body have become one, inseparable." Duobao sighed. "If we were to forcibly extract her soul, given its weakness, it would surely perish on the spot."

Shennong's heart sank.

"Master, then... then there's no other way?"

Duobao was silent for a moment, then said, "The best course of action now is to find the perpetrator and force him to release the imprisonment. He is the one who cast the spell, and only he can break this secret technique without harming the soul."

"This is the East Sea, and the perpetrators used water magic—" From the crowd, a martial artist at the Taiyi realm stepped forward. "This matter must be related to the Dragon Clan! Even if they didn't do it, they must know something. I'll go down and find out!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already jumped into the sea, creating a splash.